“A must-read for China novices as well as those who think they’re already experts. With some remarkably thoughtful comments on globalization, the Chinese economy, and how both affect Americans, Haft provides business advice while cleverly weaving in his own hard-won lessons. Not everyone will agree with all his conclusions, but all will learn—and be entertained—in the process.”
—William A. Reinsch, president, National Foreign Trade Council
"Proclaiming oneself a ‘China expert’ is a cottage industry these days, but Jeremy Haft is the real deal. All the Tea in China is a rare treat: it provides real ground truth on the complicated world of business in China with great humor and gems of insight into the Chinese culture. There’s a world of useful information in these pages, and it’s a lot of fun digesting it. It’s an important book for the armchair China watcher and the old China hand—and invaluable for anyone wading into the China business environment." —Charles W. Freeman III, Freeman Chair in China studies at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, and former assistant U.S. trade representative for China affairs
Tired of books that marvel at "China's rise" but offer no practical advice on what to do about it?
Jeremy Haft, whose company has been helping Western firms thrive on the mainland for nearly a decade, shows how to capitalize on China, not just gape at it.
To those who've already written off the next hundred years as the "China Century," Haft explains why Western companies are far from licked and even have a competitive advantage. Like Japan in the 1980s, China is hamstrung by economic challenges that hinder its ability to compete globally. At the same time, the swelling Chinese middle class – already larger than the combined populations of the UK and France – wants all the goods and services of a modern, urban life, and local Chinese sources can't keep up. That's why China is already America's fastest growing export market – and has been for the last decade. While the shelves of your local Wal-Mart may teem with Chinese merchandise, China is actually buying goods and services from the US at a much faster clip than we're importing from them.
The Chinese boom should come with a serious warning label, though. Mainland China remains one of the most complex business environments in the world, and it's easy to make costly mistakes. Haft has already made them and shares his secrets on how to avoid them. ALL THE TEA IN CHINA is a treasure trove of useful information, province by province, industry by industry.
Among the many essential tips are:
- How to deal with the Chinese government
- How to manage your intellectual property
- How to know if a local business partner is trustworthy
- How to navigate China's fragmented supply chains
- How to set up financing
Haft shares his hard-won, often hilarious lessons about how to build your business and make serious money on the mainland without getting burned. ALL THE TEA IN CHINA is the best guide available for the novice and the China hand alike.